Previewing what he's called the toughest budget in 20 years, Mayor Dave Cieslewicz said he'll make $1.3 million in spending cuts and keep tax hikes on the average home "well below the rate of inflation" next year.

But some of the mayor's proposed cuts — less frequent pickup of large trash items and phasing out funding for public-access television WYOU — and new revenues — raising bus fares and using more room tax — are raising concern.

The $1.3 million in spending cuts are "made up of 50 detailed, small cuts," Cieslewicz said Friday, adding that he will offer no sweeping initiatives.

The mayor introduces his budget to the City Council on Tuesday with final approvals expected the week of Nov. 9.

"I commend the mayor for coming forward with a budget that shares the pain and sacrifices across the board," City Council President Tim Bruer said. "(But) there are going to be a handful of very unpopular decisions."

Under the mayor's proposal, with the inflation rate at 4.4 percent, city taxes on the average $274,974 home would rise no more than $79 to $1,881.

Overall, tax collections would rise no more than about 9 percent, or $13.7 million, to $166.5 million.

The single biggest single cut, Cieslewicz said, reduces curbside pickup of large items from weekly to twice a month, saving $231,000 in personnel and fuel costs.

The change wouldn't affect the August student move, and the city can tailor the program to ensure big items don't litter curbsides, he said.

Still, "it's going to be an issue when it comes to move-outs," Street Operations Manager Chris Kelley said, adding that the division will have to cut four positions. Cieslewicz is also giving WYOU — a perennial target — two years to transition out of city funding.

The budget, Bruer said, will have no cost-of-living increase for community services or community development block grants.

The proposed $1.2 million in cuts would eliminate positions, but it's still unclear if people would be laid off or lose jobs, Cieslewicz said.

For revenues, the mayor would direct an additional $1 million, for a total of $1.95 million, from the room tax to the operating budget, even though the Greater Madison Visitor and Convention Bureau and a recent special committee report says the city shouldn't use more room tax money to balance the budget next year.

The extra $1 million to be taken "is sustainable," Cieslewicz maintained.

The city's 9 percent room tax is expected to generate about $9 million next year.

Convention bureau President Deb Archer, who has said the amount of room tax being used for general city operations should be capped, couldn't be reached.

The bureau, which is getting $1.76 million this year under a contract that guarantees 20 percent of the room tax, gets $1.9 million next year.

In other revenue areas, Cieslewicz said he'll draw a historic amount from the city's "rainy day fund" — $2 million was used in the 2008 budget, and won't seek significant increases in fees, fines and forfeitures. Last week, the mayor said he'll propose raising bus fares 50 cents to $2.

The mayor also will propose redirecting some money. At Monona Terrace, Cieslewicz would take $100,000 in cuts and redirect it, giving $50,000 to the convention bureau for event booking assistance and $50,000 to the convention center for marketing.

And at Overture Center, he would direct $90,000 of a $1.7 million subsidy to a reserve to protect city taxpayers against the recent liquidation of the center's trust fund.

Also, Cieslewicz intends to:

• Cut neighborhood planing grants $42,000 on a one-time basis, which will help extend the Neighborhood Indicators Project that will help identify challenged areas.

• Eliminate taxpayer support for the sister city program, but use $5,000 from the room tax to leverage donations.

• Drop the city's Alliance of Cities membership to save $40,000, but spend $30,000 on a lobbyist at the state Capitol.

• Freeze traffic-calming projects for a year, saving capital costs and $76,000 in the operating budget.